The present invention relates to perpetual calendars utilizing a plurality of individual parallelepiped blocks which may be arranged to provide not only the day of the month with numerical indicia, but also the particular month spelled out with alphabetical letters, in as many as four different languages, and with a minimum number of blocks used for this purpose, as well as a minimum number of blocks arranged to numerically identify the year, and if desired, to sequentially number each week of the year. A minimum number of blocks may also be provided to indicate the first alphabetical letter of the days of the week in four different languages.
There exists some prior designs of calendars in which the year, month, day or week are depicted on six-sided blocks, which may be of wood or other appropriate material. For instance, the present inventor is aware of the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,892 discloses a calendar in which blocks or pegs are numbered "1" through "31" on one side and designs are placed on the other. There are also seven blocks with abbreviations for the days of the week in English and twelve blocks with the month in English on one side.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,436 discloses a calendar which indicates a single month, day and date. This calendar consists of four blocks. The first block includes two months of the year on each face, the second block includes the digits "0" through "5", the third block including an array of digits "0", "1", "2", "6", "7" and "8", and a fourth block including the days of the week.
British Patent No. 831,572 is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,436, but with two numbered blocks and a third block including the first letter of the days of the week with the letter "M" being reversed for a letter "W".
French Patent No. 2419-553 discloses a perpetual calendar having nine blocks. Two blocks indicate the date, three blocks indicate the day of the week, two blocks indicate the month and two blocks indicate the year.
Although the concepts disclosed in these patents are in some respects similar to the present invention, none of the calendars disclose the system wherein the months and days of the week can be provided in several languages, nor for that matter, each of the other various numerical and alphabetical arrangements recited hereinabove.
In particular, the perpetual calendar of the present invention comprises a plurality of individual parallelepiped blocks and means for supporting the blocks in juxtaposed relationship. This combination may further include numerical indication of the year with:
a total of eight blocks including four of the blocks each bearing a single numerical indicia selected from the array 1-5, inclusive, on each of five sides with the sixth side being left blank, and the remaining four blocks each bearing a single numerical indicia from the array 6-9 and 0, inclusive, on each of five sides with the sixth side left blank.
Further, the current month may be displayed using ten blocks, wherein each block bears a single alphabetical indicia on each of four sides, a single numerical indicia selected from the array 1-9 and 0 is imprinted on the fifth side of a respective block, with the sixth side left blank. The alphabetical and numerical distribution are chosen to permit the month to be spelled in English, French, German and Spanish languages.
The first letters of the days of the week may be displayed with a minimum of seven blocks, wherein the blocks each bear on at least one side the single alphabetical indicia S, M, T, W, T, F, S, but preferably with two sides of each block bearing separate seven-day groups of letters. Each of the groups may be of contrasting color selection, whereby one of the colors may be used to indicate a special day, such as the Sabbath.
Additionally, thirty-one blocks may be arranged to indicate the day of the month and may be numbered consecutively on two separate sides with indicia selected from the array 1-31, inclusive. The separate numbering systems may be of contrasting colors to provide a means of segregating special days, such as holidays, birthdays, etc.
Eleven blocks are provided to indicate the week number of the year for each monthly display wherein five sides of eight blocks bear a numerical indicia. Each of the three remaining blocks have four sides which bear numerical indicia. Remaining sides of the eleven blocks are left blank. The numbers for each side are numbered 1-52, inclusive, so as to provide the required sequential display with a minimum amount of blocks while all blocks are displayed.